Bob Quinette and Paul Zakovich are the owners of Highlands WineSeller, conveniently located at the northeast corner of Quebec and Lincoln, in Highlands Ranch.

The two, who are in the real estate business and relatively new to the wine business, opened the store almost four years ago.

"We thought this area needed a high-quality wine, liquor and beer store that offered great customer service," says Paul Zakovich. It must be working, as Highlands WineSeller has been voted Colorado Community Newspaper's "Best of the Best" liquor/wine store for three consecutive years and voted this year as Denver Channel 7's A List for Best Wine Shop.

The partners designed the store to be comfortable and welcoming. Greeting customers when they walk through the door is a beautiful water feature, custom designed wood shelves, manageable aisles and above all, a customer friendly and knowledgeable staff.

In an effort to set the store apart from other retailers, Highlands WineSeller was one of the first stores in the metro area to offer free weekly wine tastings. Held every Friday and Saturday from 3-7, with live music from 5-7, customers are given an opportunity to try wines in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. With a "hands on" approach, the owners are frequently seen visiting with customers at the wine bar, helping them pick that perfect bottle of wine or even ringing them up at the register. They also designed a customer loyalty program, which earns the customer 3% store credit for every purchase made.

The owners, both of whom live in Lone Tree, feel strongly about community involvement and are involved in a variety of local events. As such, Highlands WineSeller is a community sponsor for the Highlands Ranch Community Association and is involved with The Taste of Highlands Ranch, In The Pink Luncheon, (a fundraiser for breast cancer), various educational classes through Eastridge Recreation Center and community wine tasting events.

In keeping with the customer service theme, the store also offers the opportunity for customers to host private wine tastings in their home or office. It is a fun and unique way for customers to entertain friends or clients. In addition, the store will collaborate with The International Wine Guild to offer a wine education program starting later this year. To keep the customers updated, the store also sends a weekly email newsletter with store promotions, recipes with wine pairings, descriptions of the wines featured at the weekly tastings and any special events that may be happening.

Keeping the current customers happy and welcoming new customers is a common theme at Highlands WineSeller. Join them at their wine bar for a tasting and you will see why this is not your ordinary liquor store.

Highlands WineSeller is located at the northeast corner of Quebec & Lincoln (behind Walgreens), in Highlands Ranch. Phone 720-889-WINE (9463).
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9-10, Friday-Saturday 9-11 and beginning Sunday, July 6thand all Sundays after that, 10-6.